Late Amends
by Pringy22
Summary: Months after recovering Moira, the two have been dancing around each other wondering to themselves what the two of them happen to be at this moment in time. Anticipating that Moira has grown impatient, Claire decides to put an end to it along with her worries on a day off. Burtonfield and obviously Yuri.


**It's been years since I've written anything not intended for school, please bear with me as I say that any skill I had may have atrophied a bit. Playing Revelations 2 was so fun that I went creeping for anything Burtonfield related and left with my thirst for fluff massively unquenched. So I thought I'd throw something into the sea known as the fandom (let's face it, there's not enough out there) as I struggle with League, fighting games, my backlog, and my life in the kitchen. Along with deleting some works which needed to be euthanized due to the fact I couldn't stand to even know they even existed. Though Claire and Jill may be OOC due to stuff, I wanted to get a beta to help me with that but I grew impatient. So here you go, doods. This is literally the longest thing I've written in five years IIRC. Enjoy**

 **Holy fuck, I forgot to mention I don't own any of this shit.**

* * *

 **Late Amends**

It was a rainy afternoon as a certain red haired woman played with her hair in a mood composed of inquisition, confusion, anticipation, along with a light touch of indecision.

She stands in front of her bathroom mirror wearing only a pair of white pants and a while staring at her own reflection and then at an assortment of perfumes and various forms of makeup with an indecisive and uncomfortable eye _"You really painted yourself into a corner this time, Redfield."_ She pondered, _"At least you chose a color that's easy on the eyes. Speaking of which, I need to figure something out soon; she doesn't seem to care for makeup but I guess it wouldn't hurt to go above and beyond."_

She starts to rifle through the selection strewn across the counter carefully gazing and mentally comparing her available options. Shaking her head, she quickly looked over a crimson blouse adorned with black buttons she had bought merely a few hours earlier. Running her hand over the currently favored garment, she smiles to herself before turning her gaze toward the mirror before looking over the blouse once more before unbuttoning the article of clothing and removing it from it's respective hanger. Putting her arms through the sleeves, she walks over to the sink once again before picking up a bottle of a violet colored perfume and applying an amount she deemed necessary before buttoning up her shirt. Turning her attention towards the array of cosmetics once again, her indecision crept into her mind once again as the redhead mulled over the variety of lipstick laid out before her.

 _'Fuck it, this never was my sort of thing. It's not like she hasn't seen me on my worst days. Sorry Jill, but it... wait a minute'_

A hand shot out towards the farthest tube before plucking it out of the group in which it stood and in a show of skill uncapping it with only that hand before smearing the substance onto her lips. Smacking her lips, she gazed into the mirror looking over her lips; now a seemingly wet, crimson color with a dark violet tint. Giving off a confident grin to no one in particular, she let off a heavy sigh before walking out the door and greeting herself to the sight of her own bedroom. Taking a quick glance at the window, she notices the gray tint which painted the sky, signifying the coming arrival a potentially heavy rainstorm

 _'With my luck, it'll start raining soon. I should set everything up before Moira leaves for the day.'_ She thought. _'Here goes nothing, I guess it's better late than never.'_

Moira stood in front of the doors of her workplace staring at the heavy rains which fell from the sky at an astonishing rate. Silently cursing herself for the lack of an umbrella, she began to contemplate of how to escape her current predicament (Hopefully a plan that doesn't include the her walking back inside the building for any reason). Pacing back and forth within the same set area Moira glances at the cloudy horizon of her urban surroundings wondering just how far she had to go in order to reach the nearest form of shelter that would happen to also sell an umbrella. Logically, she could just waltz back in and ask for an umbrella or some sort of ride home if the situation called for it…couldn't she? Shaking her head, she discarded that idea as quick as she could...

 _'Fuck that, I can still barely manage to make it through the day without having someone or something set off a flashback. How the fuck do Claire and Dad get through this type of shit not just once but at least twice without completely losing it.'_ A realization came to the young woman as she reached for her phone. _'Wait, no wonder why I didn't see her at the office today; for some reason she had today off, not to mention she wanted me to keep an eye on my texts since she wanted me to come over to her place for some reason. It's probably a whole lot of nothing yet again, but it's not like I've got anything to lose except my mind; she needs to stop being so damn indecisive…'_

Taking a cue from her memories, she reached for her phone and made the necessary motions to bring up her texts. To a sense of slight disbelief, there were no less than 3 unread messages from her occasional woman of the hour.

' ** _I know it's early, but I just wanted to say that no matter what happens today don't be afraid to text me if anything happens to you at work. I can always make time for you if I need to.'_** Judging from the timestamp, Moira saw that it was sent an hour and 30 minutes before she had arrived at the office. _'Damn it Claire, are you just trying to be a good friend slash boss or are you trying to fuck with me all over again? Really wish you'd give me some sort of sign.'_

 _ **'Are you running into any problems at the office? I know it's tough to be around so many people all of a sudden after going through something like that even if it's been a few months since then; I promise I'll make it up to you soon.'**_ She smiled to herself and shook her head in embarrassment. _'Right on my lunch break she starts asking me questions, it's not like I was forced to go back early. It's not like I don't get where she's coming from. Though if she really wanted to, I know of a way she could help me.'_

 _ **'Moira, are you going to need a ride over to my place? It looks like it's going to rain.'** _ The brunette gazed at the timestamp before realizing that it was sent only a few minutes before her day had ended. Before she could even type in the first letter, a vehicle that was all to familiar to her had already driven up to the front of the building in the middle of her contemplative session. She sprinted towards the car in utter desperation as evidenced by how she hastily opened the door and pulled it shut with an amount of force that could be described as reckless.

"I don't know if it's just me but I think you forgot something important today." The redhead spoke as she dangled a black umbrella within the younger woman's line of sight.

"That's where that went…sorry about that, Claire." Moira replied in an apologetic sense of embarrassment.

"Sooooooooo…is there any reason why you wanted to me to come to your place so badly? Not that I'm complaining or as if I had anything better to do." The young brunette inquired as she gazed at her superior as she began to notice the unusual appearance of the woman sitting in the driver's seat. Aside from the lipstick that adorned her mouth, a light application of mascara and powder painted their respective areas in order to merely accentuate her natural look. She currently wore a red silk shirt paired with a pair of white pants along with few unexpected colors that seemed to grace her features.

 _'Claire wearing makeup!? What in the hell happened? Though she looks really fucking gorgeous, I'd work a corner if it meant having a night with her dressed like this…'_ She thought as she mentally threw a chair in frustration while picking up a scent not too unfamiliar to her senses, _'And she's wearing her favorite perfume! Damn it Claire, if your plan was to come out looking like that to leave me drooling, it's fucking working!'_ Realizing that she had been staring at Claire in state of mesmerized lust with very little regard for the fact that they have not moved in what seemed to be a half hour with the rain only becoming heavier.

Chuckling to herself as she felt a sense of accomplishment; she turned the key in order to start the engine before looking into the light brown eyes which belonged to Moira and giving off the warmest of smiles. "I guess that means you approve." Moira nodded and visibly gulped in response before making her reply, "What's the occasion?"

"You'll see as soon we get to my place..." Claire responded cryptically, drawing a puzzled look blended with a slight amount of impatience _'All right, Claire. You can do this; all you're trying to do is seduce a girl who happens to work for you, who also happens to be 12 years younger than you, and happens to be Barry's daughter. Thankfully Moira's feelings haven't changed judging by that look on her face.'_ Letting out a heavy breath of relief before turning her head towards the road before making the necessary motions in order to travel along with the flow what little traffic happened to be willing enough to traverse the heavy rains falling from the slowly darkening skies.

"This better be worth it." Moira spoke as they drove off towards Claire's residence.

The redhead only had one thought: _'Sorry for making you wait, Moira.'_

Minutes passed as the two arrived at a house that held a very modest appearance. Upon shutting off the engine, Claire took the umbrella from where it currently rested before rushing out of the car and sprinting towards the younger woman who had already exited the car and pulling her into a light embrace under the umbrella before leading her inside. Upon entering, Moira was introduced a sight much different from the other times she had been invited into the older woman's home, with the most recent times usually resulting in disappointment. Making her way into the living room, the feeling of uncertainty was born when she saw that the room was arranged in an unusually neat manner with a bottle of a seemingly expensive Tequila sitting on the coffee table. Was it just her or was the room getting dimmer, Was it just her or did she just hear Claire lock the front door as an acoustic guitar signaled the beginning of a song. _'Am I hallucinating? There's no way she'd set up something like this for me, no way in hell. Not after all the times that nothing came from me giving her every signal I had in my book.'_ She pondered in a fit of overwhelming doubt as she felt Claire's drenched arms wrap around her midsection from behind. She could swear that the older woman's lips were an inch away from her ear, her scent flooding her nose, the sensation of her hot breath seemingly layering itself on her skin as she began to whisper the lyrics into her ear while attempting to assess the situation:

"Claire, you're such a dork." Moira laughed as she felt a blush form on her cheeks before turning around to meet the other woman's gaze. Feeling herself starting to weaken under the spell that Claire's light sapphire eyes seemed to cast, she let herself fall onto the couch forcing her boss to accompany her in the fall. The two breathing in a heavy rhythmic unison gazing into each other, as if to figure out what the other wanted as their next action.

In a sudden act of inspiration, Claire reached for the bottle and took in as much as she possibly could in and still remain comfortable before unfastening a single button on her shirt, revealing the upper half of her undergarment and allowing her lips to crash onto Moira's for the first time in nearly two months. Slightly parting her lips, the younger of the two allowed the burning liquid to trickle it's way into her mouth, savoring the taste of her lover that had been added in the exchange before swallowing her share.

"Is it just me or are you trying to get me drunk?" Moira asked jokingly as she put a hand to the other woman's cheek just as she giggled in response. Nuzzling the offered hand as she casually yet, carefully poured the liquid onto the petite woman's neck before allowing her lips to descend upon the drenched area, tasting her. Drawing a nocturne of moans and whimpers from the other woman, it wasn't long before Claire had allowed her a brief moment of respite from her affectionate attack only to be offered another drink just as she attempted to assume a sitting position. Moira snatched the bottle from her hands, taking a large swig before visibly grimacing from the aftertaste. Gazing at Claire's open shirt, inspiration came to her. She grabbed the older woman's sides, attempting to reverse their positions only to be refuted in a casual and reassuring manner. A very familiar look was displayed from her features and yet her doubts surfaced...

"Hey Claire?" Moira spoke as the last few lines of the song were sung and the alcohol had begun to take it's full effect.

"Hmm?"

Moira took it up on herself to grab Claire's arms which she happened to be using to prop herself up, causing her to fall. Using her inebriated to state to her advantage, she placed the older woman's hands on her shirt and whispered a very familiar set of words, "We never really got around to talking about…...um, I guess we could say us. Even though what happened on that shithole of an island happened, those nights we had before a pile of rocks fell on me and that little accident we had at work really meant something to me. I know I'm a lot younger than you…...but I really care about you….more than I thought I could or should." Looking at her with confused eyes, Claire urged her to continue as best as she could, I….I….. if you feel anything close to the same about me then-" The sound of fabric tearing and a bra snapping open due to being suddenly unhooked interrupted her and left her half nude

"You didn't let me fin-" She was once again cut off, this time by a pair of lips pressing onto hers. It was far more brief than the others, yet somehow reassuring. A hand rested on her cheek as she once again gazed into the older woman's eyes, seeing a softer, kinder, and more empathetic expression.

"Sorry for making you wait this long, Moira. Looks like I really made you worry." Claire spoke with a sweet tone of voice that she herself had not heard in years. Letting out an amorous smile before putting the bottle to her lips, the words she needed began to form in her head "That night meant just as much to me just as much as it meant to you. I feel the same way about you, I really do. I guess you could say that I was running away...from a few nightmares"

Claire confessed. "What kind of nightmares?" Moira inquired "Even now I keep reliving that day, it doesn't even have to be the same time or place, I keep seeing you pinned under all of that rubble. Sometimes you survive, the other times...I've los-" A pair of arms wrapped around her in the form of a reassuring hug

"I'm still here, Claire. Don't let my dad or some fucked up nightmare stop you. Before you say anything, I'm pretty sure he's on your mind too. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be that much older than I am. Touch me, take the rest my clothes off, do whatever you want. Just know I'm still here looking up at the hottest, most lovable dork I know, and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Claire's free hand caressed Moira's cheek as the words, "I really love you, Moira." casually spilled out of her mouth in only to for the last remaining bastion of her inhibitions to cause Claire to freeze up to her very own disbelief at the fact that those words came so easily.

"Say that again, I didn't hear that clearly." said the brunette just as she rolled to the left falling to the floor pinning Claire under her, removed the damaged and undone garments and casually tossed them to the other side of the room, took a straddling position on top of the woman below her, and placed Claire's hands on her bare chest. Looking at her intently with a seeming all-knowing smirk and a sparkle in her eye.

Feigning a look of confusion, she slowly sat up to meet Moira's gaze, "Sorry for making you wait for so long?" Claire asked jokingly, only to be met with a light shove and a soft giggle. "You dork, you know what I want to hear." The brunette replied still in her fit of giggles before leaning down and putting her lips to Claire's ear, "Now say it again." Punctuating her request with a playful bite of the shoulder causing Claire to let out a light sigh of pleasure.

"If that's how you're going to do things, then why should I say anything at all. So, what was it that you wanted to hear?" She whispered while displaying the utter fact she has the ability to undo all of the buttons of her blouse with a downward stroke of a finger straight down the middle leaving Moira beyond stupefied at the sight of Claire's upper body. That, and the utter desire to kiss and lick every single inch of her exposed skin and maybe drench her chest with what's left in the bottle.

 _'How the fuck did she do that!?'_

With a visible gulp, Moira felt herself overcome with a sudden case of shyness she looked at the nearly topless woman, who now seemed to be licking her lips in anticipation; making her lips look even wetter than they are now. Feeling the tears emerge, she pinched herself just to make sure. Just this one time, she wished that for once it wasn't a dream born from her overwhelming longing for the woman below her. A slight sensation of pain and a sense of assurance came as tears began to well up in her eyes, as another song began to play as a pair of lips kissed them away.

"You're adorable" Claire cooed as she laid another kiss, this time to the younger woman's lips before taking off the last piece of clothing that had occupied her chest. Pulling Moira's head onto her shoulder, another kiss was placed on the top of her head. "Dork. I love you too, you know. I was just waiting for you to do or say something, anything, the wait was driving me insane." Moira gazed upwards to find a smiling Claire, the look she had somehow pulling her in slowly until she threw caution to the wind and allowed her very visage, her scent, and the sensation of Claire's breath ticking her skin to drive her into grabbing the older woman by the hair before allowing her lips to collide with hers.

The sounds of joyful moans, heavy pants, hands wandering over every inch of exposed skin, and the loud smacking of lips permeated the air and the saxophone and piano solo that played only served to fuel the assurance the two had about finally escaping the apprehension that had plagued them for so long. Finally separating from one another Moira could only make one desperate request.

"Claire. Bed. Now."Moira pleaded

Nodding in acknowledgment, she slowly got to her feet despite Moira's weight playing a factor in her added difficulty. Making a careful stride towards her bedroom, Moira took it upon herself to commit more affectionate actions. Upon reaching the bed, Claire gently lowered Moira onto her bed before giving a look "I'll have to do something about this..." Claire spoke as she removed Moira's shoes and threw them past the door and made quick work of her pants leaving her with only with a pair of satin boyshorts. Unconsciously licking her lips, Claire kicked off her shoes before disrobing in a set of slow, sensual movements eventually exposing her nude form to a now flustered and extremely aroused Moira. Crawling atop her lover and gripping the impeding undergarment, the redhead made quick work the last remaining article of clothing before giving her a predatory look as she prepared to take her prize…

The rain continued to fall, hours after they had enjoyed the carnal pleasures their night had to offer. The sound of precipitation noisily falling on the windows, accentuating the mood between the two who lie together in peaceful slumber. Not long after, the older of the two began to stir then slowly make her way out of bed. Looking at Moira's sleeping face, a sense of relief welled up inside of her. A kiss on the cheek later, she walked to her bathroom for a shower and a change of clothes.

Moira awoke to the powerful scent of eggs, onions, and various herbs. Looking around, she spotted the same blouse Claire wore the night before laid out in on front of her. Admiring the various marks that adorned her body, she picked up the blouse and slowly put her arms through the sleeves; allowing her to feel every inch of the material and take in the scent that lingered. Buttoning up the blouse, she walked over to the doorway. Leaning against the small surface, she attempted to make the most seductive pose she knew, only for it to give out a massive air of awkwardness.

"What are you cooking over there, beautiful?" Moira spoke with a playful tone.

For what seemed to be hours, Claire attempted to stifle her giggles before erupting into full blown laughter.

"What the hell, Claire?!"

Looking at her lover's pout and the way the crimson blouse interacted with her figure as she stood in front of her still assuming her pose. There was no doubt she wanted to appear seductive. To Claire, it was incredibly cute in an immensely awkward way. It was far too out of character for someone like Moira, yet her morning was already made. Turning off the heat of the stove, Claire walked over to her and casually picked her up, drawing a bamboozled look from the younger of the two. She had no real idea of what she should think of this sort of development...

"I made you breakfast. You can either keep being adorable or we can enjoy our day off."

Her face turning red, she said nothing as Claire carried Moira to her seat, laying hey eyes on an omelet which seemed to have onions and various peppers blended into it. The only absolute she had is that it was sure to be spicy, judging from the appearance.

"What is it with you and spicy food?" Moira spoke as she took her first bite of the omelet before fanning her mouth furiously in a futile attempt to ease the flavor induced agony. Spotting a glass of milk next to her, she chugged the contents in between bites just falling short of the last piece. Not one to disappoint, she challenged the incendiary breakfast food once again, this time nowhere near as hilarious of a disaster, nor a disaster by any means. Picking up the glass the Claire had filled during her moments of agony, she took another drink for good measure. "Thanks, I don't know if I should call you a sadist or wonder if you're always this considerate." The brunette spoke as her agony began to subside, allowing her a moment of relief.

"Well, there is one thing..." The redhead hinted

"What's that?" She inquired with a puzzled look as Claire inched her chair closer to hers.

Placing her hand over Moira's, Claire gazed at her honey brown eyes before speaking. "You can remember that we're together now."

"Claire..."

As the two slowly inched closer to each other, a loud knocking sound came from the door. Taking it as a cue to hide, Moira ran to her lover's room; disregarding the torn and discarded clothing that still inhabited the living room. Claire however, went to the door and gazed through the peephole, laying eyes on her own brother. Quickly undoing the locks, she opened the door in order to greet him with a hug.

"Hey, it's been a while. Nice pajamas." The elder Redfield joked, pointing out the turtle shell designs that decorated her pajama pants.

"Sorry, I just woke up with a bit of a hangover. I'm glad that I arranged a day off for today." She sighed as she rubbed her temples "How's therapy?"

"Great. I'm finally out with a clean bill of health and I haven't had a drop in months. Though, I'm still on leave for the time being. Is it okay if I come in?"

"You don't have to ask, go ahead." Walking over to the kitchen in order to somehow make a portion large enough for Chris. A sinking feeling came over the younger Redfield, a feeling of intuition gnawed at her as a reminder that she was forgetting something.

"How's Moira doing? Barry tells me that she's been feeling down about something. Since you're the one working with her, I figured you might have an idea." He spoke as his younger sibling started looking at him puzzlingly as he held up the empty bottle of tequila with a seemingly omniscient grin on his face; which reminded Claire of her early teenage years. A foreboding feeling was born as Chris set the bottle down and walked over to the kitchen table in order to eat his omelet which now featured Habanero peppers to his delight, "Just the way I like it, haven't had this since before Kijuju."

"It's been that long?"

"Yeah, it feels like it was just yesterday, which for some reason reminds me of when I almost got into a fistfight with one of my superiors back in the air force." The statement quickly earned him an unfavorable reaction from Claire in the form of a facepalm while shaking her head in disbelief. She had heard stories of that day from numerous sources; two of the most notable being Chris and Jill themselves. Moira who happened to be conveniently listening on the conversation from the other side of the slightly open door brought her hands up close to her head and to no one in particular made a face displaying her lack of comprehension as Claire continued, "That reminds me, you were about to start a bar fight on the other side of the world. How many does that make? About ten?"

"Fifteen. That wasn't my best moment by a long shot, if it wasn't for Piers..." Chris replied as he took a bite of his meal. Gazing at the doorway he caught the sight of a flash of dark red, the cognitive gears of his traumatized mind started to turn as the answers came to his head in order to reach a conclusion that would allow him to torment both parties in the most delightful way possible "Let's make a deal, Moira. If you come out here and tell me just how you managed to make a cougar out of my sister, I'll give you a few good stories about her."

'Damn' Claire thought to herself.

"…Can I at least put on some pants?"

"Please."

The door closed for several minutes before opening once again revealing Moira wearing the same blouse with the pants she had been wearing the day before with an expectant look on her face with a tinge of embarrassment,"You better have some good ones." Upon hearing the statement, Chris tilted his head and gave the young woman and all knowing look.

"If you think this is bad, wait until you hear about how I found out about Claire's preference of women." This particular statement earned a facepalm and a lick of the lips from Claire and Moira respectively. Chris began to weave his tale in a manner with an Asimov-like proficiency. A short time later, Moira had doubled over in a fit of giggles before breaking out into raucous laughter.

"A middle school principal, holy shit!" Moira remarked in between her fits of uncontrollable laughter."

"Nothing really happened, but that's because campus police somehow caught wind of it." Claire added, "Thankfully, I already hated her with a passion. Can't really say that I'm disappointed."

"Because she wasn't a biker, artist, or a delinquent. How about that cop you actually dated."

"I don't think she needs to hear about that..."

Time passed as the sibling roast continued and Moira decided to take a beer from Claire's fridge. As soon as she sat down, Chris gave her a hard glare with a sense of comfort that seemed too familiar with him; as if his years of leading a crusade against the now deceased Wesker had allowed that facial accommodation to happen. Moira visibly flinched upon remembering the fact the Claire had once told her that this was the man who had punched a boulder as if it were nothing and had actually caused it to move.

"So, how did you and Claire get to...whatever you guys happen to-"

"Dating." Claire interrupted causing Moira's eyes to light up and listen attentively as her mood skyrocketed beyond all known conventions of altitude.

"Shit, I don't know how Barry's going to feel about this. Almost seems like dealing with Wesker in Kijuju was easier. Not to mention Sherry won't like this." Chris sighed as he lowered his head

"What does this have to do with her?", Claire asked in disbelief, already wanting to forget the answer that already formed in her mind.

"Let's just say you really have a way with younger women; it's almost like you're a natural born cougar. Oh wait..." As soon as Chris finished his statement, Moira spat out her beer in a fit of hysterical laughter.

 _'Damn it!'_ Claire cursed inwardly

"Moira!"

"I see the dorkiness runs in the family." Moira replied as she wiped the beer away with a napkin. "I already had a crush on Claire for a couple of years now, but I never really did anything but follow her around up until we were kidnapped and taken to that shithole of an island. Sometime before we reached the tower, we had...a moment."

"A moment?" Chris inquired

"We were inside a cave waiting for the rain to let up, I kept wondering how Claire could keep calm in a situation like this. I kept moving closer to her until she saw that I was freezing my ass off, she hugged me from behind for obvious reasons. But when I looked at her..." She let out a nervous gulp before she continued, "She sounded tired, as if she was really jaded about everything in a way, the look in her eyes and the change in her voice was showing me that. I already had a feeling that I needed to let everything out and after all the shit that already happened...I stopped caring about keeping it to myself. I just wanted some part of the Claire I knew to come back; so I turned around…

 _"Claire?"_

 _The older woman hummed acknowledging her inquiry._

 _"I know it's not the time or the place, since something could pop out of the corner and kill us at any time but…," Moira spoke with a shaky tone of voice as she gazed into the downcast face of her fondest crush, her own brown eyes displaying a very vulnerable look unknowingly gnawing away at the older woman's conscience, "I know we could get ourselves killed if we're not careful, but I still…" Without realizing it, Moira's hand had already rested upon her cheek and a pleading look graced her features._

 _"Claire..." she murmured as her lips met the older woman's in a slow and unsure manner. Yet, she felt a hand behind her back as Claire gently clambered on top of Moira_

 _"Believe it or not, Moira. I feel the same way...but now I can't stop thinking about..."_

 _"You'll get us home, Claire. I know you will." Moira replied before their lips met once again._

"Six months of searching later, we have a happy couple.", Chris remarked in jest "I'll see what I can do about Barry, but I'd suggest keeping it to yourselves for now. Either way, Jill's on her way up. Maybe she can help us sort this out better."

"Jill?" The couple responded

"As much as I can't believe it, she predicted this would happen." As soon as Chris uttered his statement, a knock on the door was heard.

"Come in." Claire muttered

A familiar figure walked in with hair that was a brilliant shade of brown not unlike what she had before her disappearance, wearing jeans and a black shirt with the BSAA logo on it. The four of them already knew their breakfast was only going to become more awkward.

"Judging by what Moira's wearing, looks like I was right." Jill spoke smugly as she walked over to Claire and Moira and ruffled the hair of the latter to Moira's utter confusion. "You can thank me later, Claire."

Her girlfriend and older sibling instantly turned to her, wondering how Jill happened to motivate Claire into taking it upon herself to finally act on her desire to reciprocate Moira's feelings. Moira in particular wondered what kind of pull she had with Claire...for less than dubious purposes of course.

"She just gave me some makeup and a few words of advice." Claire replied cautiously

"More like a kick in the ass, poor Claire was worried sick and all of it had to do with Moira. It took me a while to get an idea of what was going on, but when I figured out what was going on; I went over to visit and left a few things that would help her get Moira's attention. Not to mention I reminded her of a few things."

"Like what?" Moira asked.

"I told her that the two of you are incredibly lucky that you survived being on that island. Especially since those two seem to be cursed when it comes to having people either suffer horrible fates or die in front of them or worse yet, for them. It's happened to Chris countless times, and from what he told me, Claire's seen her share of nightmares." The two felt the sudden need to gaze in a random direction as Jill continued her explanation. Walking over to Chris, she put an arm around him before continuing, " I told her to stop being so worried and go to Moira, get everything off your chest and see where the two of you go from here. She's not going anywhere, especially since she was willing to die for you like that, don't worry about what anyone else thinks."

Grabbing Claire's hand, Moira looked at Claire before finishing her beer and uttering: "What am I going to do with you?" Giving her a peck on the cheek, she sat down beside the redhead, resting her head on Claire's shoulder.

"Cute. But can I ask you one thing, Moira?", The aforementioned woman nodded in response.

"What's Claire like when she's alone with you?" Jill spoke as she displayed a genuine face of curiosity.

Putting her hand over Claire's; she wasted no time sharing her initial thoughts, "Sweet, reassuring, and beyond dorky."

"Look who's talking." Claire replied with a tone of feigned indignation as the other two occupants of the room laughed at the absolute expense of the couple. By some internal measure, Moira felt as if she had finally earned her place amongst everyone. But more importantly, the two had finally become a major figure in each of their respective lives. The only looming threat which seemed to linger in the minds of the four, is the parental indignation and wrath of the one man known to many as Barry Burton. With Sherry not far behind as the newly formed couple would eventually find out.

* * *

Fin


End file.
